Method for maneuvering a yacht

ABSTRACT

A method and device for maneuvering a yacht via a control device which is designed as a joystick ( 7 ). The joystick ( 7 ) is tilted in the direction of a longitudinal axis (y) and a transversal axis (x) of the yacht, to initiate forward or backward movement and transverse movement, and the joystick ( 7 ) is rotated to initiate yaw movement of the yacht around its longitudinal axis (zj). The yacht ( 1 ) has a single drive which is designed as a pivotable drive ( 6 ) which has a pivotable thrust vector around a vertical axis. The steering movements of the joystick ( 7 ) are transferred to the pivotable drive ( 6 ) in a matched manner.

This application is a National Stage completion of PCT/EP2011/050661filed Jan. 19, 2011, which claims priority from German patentapplication serial no. 10 2010 001 707.8 filed Feb. 9, 2010.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a method for maneuvering a yacht as well as adevice for executing the method.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Known through WO 02/085702 A1 is a motor yacht with a propulsion devicewhich has two drive aggregates, each driving a ship propeller. Inaddition to the propulsion device, the motor yacht has a bow thrust anda stern thrust, meaning thrust devices which are effectively transverseto the longitudinal direction of the yacht. The ship propellers and thethrusters are controlled together through a steering lever which isdesigned as a joystick. The joystick can be tilted within a full circleof 360° in eight different directions, which are each different by 45°.Depending on what maneuver is required to be performed by the yacht,either the forward propulsion or the thrusters, or the forwardpropulsion and thrusters are activated.

A motor yacht is known through U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,983 B2 which has twopropeller drives which can be rotated around a vertical axis, calledrotary actuator in short. By turning of the thrust vector which isgenerated by the propellers, yaw moments are injected into the ship hulland they determine the course of the boat. A lateral movement, meaning amaneuvering of the yacht transverse to the longitudinal axis, is notpossible with this drive.

Known through U.S. Pat. No. 7,267,068 B2 is a motor yacht with twopivotable drives which allow, depending of the direction of the twothrust vectors, any maneuvering movement such as forward, backward,sideways or rotating. A true lateral movement, meaning a sideway move ofthe yacht is, however, not possible due to the fact that both pivotabledrives are positioned in the stern area. The steering of the motor yachttakes place through a steering device which is designed as a joystick,whereby the joystick can be tilted into any direction within a fullcircle and can be rotated around its longitudinal axis. By tilting orrotating of the joystick, meaningful maneuvering movements of the boatare initiated. This maneuvering method has the disadvantage that twopivotable drives are required to generate a pair of forces throughthrust vectors. Such a double drive system is not suitable for smalleryachts, especially sailing yachts, due to cost, weight and the requiredinstallation space.

A pivotable propeller drive for a boat is known through WO 2005/005249A1, in the following called pivotable drive for short. The knownpivotable drive is used as a single drive for boats, whereby a rudderblade can be omitted, due to the ability to pivot the thrust vectorwhich is created by the propeller.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method formaneuvering a yacht, which can also be used for small yachts and, inaddition, to create a suitable device for execution of the method.

In accordance with the invention, the known maneuvering method istransferred by means of a joystick which can be manually tilted andwhich can be transferred to a yacht which has just one pivotable driveand also has preferably a bow thrust. An advantage is hereby createdwhich also allows, for yachts with a less sophisticated drive system,steering by means of the joystick.

The pivotable drive, also called rudder propeller, comprises of a drivedevice, especially with a ship propeller, which is pivotable around avertical axis or a steering axis, thus achieving a different trustdirection as compared to the ship hull. An optional bow thrust, fixedlypositioned in the very frontal area of the hull, creates a thrustperpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the ship and herebyaccelerates the rotational movement. By means of the pivotable drive andthe bow thrust, and when, the maneuvering method can be advantageouslyexecuted, meaning that a sensitive, intuitive, fast respondingmaneuverability of the yacht can be accomplished. For instance,perpendicular or lateral movements of the yacht can be accomplished by atransverse positioning of the pivotable drive and the application of thebow thrust. This represents a significant advantage in maneuvering,especially for sailing yachts.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the pivotable drive can becontrolled by tilting and/or rotation of the joystick. Through the tiltdirection, which preferably takes place in the midship direction ortransverse to the midship direction, the direction of the thrust vectoris determined, meaning the steering angle of the pivotable drive. Theamount of the thrust is determined by a tilt angle of 0° up toapproximately 45°.

By turning of the joystick around its longitudinal axis, a yaw motion ofthe yacht is initiated, whereby the thrust vector is pivoted in such away that the yaw motion affects the underwater bottom section of theyacht.

In another advantageous embodiment, by tilting of the joystick in thetransverse direction, the pivotable drive and the bow thrust can besimultaneously controlled. Thus, a true lateral movement of the yacht,meaning a transverse shift while maintaining the same course, isachieved. The thrust of the bow thrust and the pivotable drive arehereby acting in the same direction, whereby the thrust is controlled insuch a way that no turn motion for the ship's hull is created.

In an additional advantageous embodiment, the bow thrust and thepivotable drive can be triggered by rotation of the joystick in thevertical position, meaning not tilted. By this rotation, an on the spotturn of the yacht can be accomplished, meaning that minimal maneuveringspace is required for turning the ship.

In accordance with an additional aspect of the invention, a sailingyacht is provided for the execution of the method which is generallyequipped with just a motor drive. Thus, the application of the inventedmethod on a sailing yacht means a greater increase in comfort and safetyduring maneuvering.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An example embodiment of the invention is presented in the drawing andas further described as follows, whereby the additional characteristicsand/or advantages can result from the description and/or drawing. Itshows:

FIG. 1 a schematic presentation of the hull of a sailing yacht,

FIG. 2 a joystick with its three reference axes, x_(j), y_(j), z_(j)while FIG. 2(1) is a schematic representation of the ship hull and itsstationary axes x, y, z,

FIG. 3 a schematic presentation of the steering system of the yacht,

FIG. 4 a first position of the joystick in a forward tilt position, FIG.4(1) is a schematic representation of the ship hull, FIG. 4(2) is aschematic diagram showing the rotational speed of the pivotable drive,and FIG. 4(3) is a schematic diagram showing the steering angle of thepivotable drive,

FIG. 4A the joystick in its first position and the movement of theyacht, while FIG. 4A(1) is a schematic presentation of the ship hull,

FIG. 4B is the joystick of FIG. 4A rotated and FIG. 4B(1) shows thecorresponding movement of the yacht,

FIG. 5 the second position of the joystick in a backward tilt position,FIG. 5(1) is a schematic representation of the ship hull, FIG. 5(2) is aschematic diagram showing the rotational speed of the pivotable drive,and FIG. 5(3) is a schematic diagram showing the steering angle of thepivotable drive,

FIG. 5A the joystick in its second position and the movement of theyacht, while FIG. 5A(1) is a schematic presentation of the ship hull,

FIG. 5B is the joystick of FIG. 5A rotated and FIG. 5B(1) shows thecorresponding movement of the yacht,

FIG. 6 the second position of the joystick with the pivotable drivepivoted by 180°, FIG. 6(1) is a schematic representation of the shiphull, FIG. 6(2) is a schematic diagram showing the rotational speed ofthe pivotable drive, and FIG. 6(3) is a schematic diagram showing thesteering angle of the pivotable drive,

FIG. 6A the joystick in the second position and FIG. 6A(1) shows thecorresponding movement of the yacht,

FIG. 6B the joystick of FIG. 6A rotated and FIG. 6B(1) shows thecorresponding movement of the yacht,

FIG. 7 the third position of the joystick in a centered position, FIG.7(1) is a schematic representation of the ship hull, FIG. 7(2) is aschematic diagram showing the rotational speed of the pivotable drive,and FIG. 7(3) is a schematic diagram showing the steering angle of thepivotable drive,

FIG. 7A the joystick in its third position of FIG. 7 and FIG. 7A(1)shows the corresponding movement of the yacht,

FIG. 8 a fourth position of the joystick in a tilt position toward thestarboard, FIG. 8(1) is a schematic representation of the ship hull,FIG. 8(2) is a schematic diagram showing the rotational speed and tiltposition of the pivotable drive, FIG. 8(3) is a schematic diagramshowing the rotational speed of the pivotable drive and FIG. 8(4) is aschematic diagram showing the steering angle of the pivotable drive,

FIG. 8A the joystick in its fourth position of FIG. 8 and FIG. 8A(1)shows the corresponding movement of the yacht,

FIG. 8B the joystick of FIG. 8A rotated and FIG. 8B(1) shows thecorresponding movement of the yacht,

FIG. 9 a fifth position of the joystick with the tilt position towardslarboard, FIG. 9(1) is a schematic representation of the ship hull, FIG.9(2) is a schematic diagram showing the rotational speed of thepivotable drive, FIG. 9(3) is a schematic diagram showing the rotationalspeed and tilt position of the pivotable drive and FIG. 9(4) is aschematic diagram showing the steering angle of the pivotable drive,

FIG. 9A the joystick in its fifth position of FIG. 9 and FIG. 9A(1)shows the corresponding movement of the yacht, and

FIG. 9B the joystick of FIG. 9A rotated and FIG. 9B(1) shows thecorresponding movement of the yacht.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a schematic presentation of the hull 1, of a not completelydrawn sailing yacht, with a keel 2, a drive engine 3, a bow thrust 4 aswell as a rudder blade 5. The drive engine 3 drives a propeller drive 6which is designed as a pivotable drive 6, meaning pivotable around thevertical axis. Such a pivotable drive is also called a rudder propellerbecause it replaces the function of a conventional rudder. The driveengine 3 can be designed as a combustion engine or a hybrid drivecomprising of an electric motor and a combustion engine.

FIG. 2 shows a steering lever, which is designed as a joystick 7, forsteering the drive engine 3 of the pivotable drive 6 and the bowpropulsion 4. The joystick 7 has a handle 7 a and a pivot point 7 bwhich is designed as a joint through which the longitudinal axis z_(j)of the joystick 7 extends. In addition, axes x_(j) and y_(j) areassigned to the joystick 7. The joystick 7 can be tilted in thedirection of the axes x_(j) and y_(j) and can be rotated around itslongitudinal axis z_(j).

On the right-hand side in FIG. 2(1), a ground plan of the yacht 1 (thereference number 1 is used for the hull as well as for the yacht) ispresented with three axes x, y, z, whereby y is the longitudinal axis ofthe yacht 1, x is its transverse axis, and z represents the verticalaxis. The axes x_(j), y_(j), and z_(j) are positioned parallel to thestationary ship axes x, y, z.

FIG. 3 shows, in a schematic presentation, a steering system 8 with thejoystick 7, pivotable drive 6, bow propulsion 4 and the drive engine 3components. All components 3, 4, 8, 7 are linked to an electroniccontrol unit 9 through the control lines 9 a, 9 b, 9 c, 9 d. The tiltingand/or rotational movements of the joystick 7 are fed into theelectronic control unit 9 as input signals, via the control line 9 a,and sent to the drive engine 3, the pivotable drive 6 and/or the bowthrust 4, as control commands. The sailing yacht can, therefore, besteered just by movement of the joystick 7, which is explained furtherin the following, and can be maneuvered especially during a low speed ofthe boat. Hereby, the rotational speed of the drive engine 3, thesteering angle or the pivot angle of the pivotable drive 6 and/or thethrust direction of the bow thrust 4 are triggered.

Based on the following drawings 4 to 9, the different positions whichcan be achieved by the joystick 7, and their influence on the movementof the yacht, are explained in detail.

FIG. 4 shows the joystick 7, represented by a circle with the center Min a first tilted position. The coordinates x_(j), y_(j) which areassigned to the joystick 7 are represented as a coordinate cross, withthe center point O in a circle k, which represents the pivot area of thejoystick 7. The joystick 7, with its longitudinal axis z_(j), can betilted around the coordinate origin and the center point O into thedirection of the axes +/−x_(j) and +/−yj. The position of the joystick7, as presented in the drawing, represents a tilt to the front, meaningin the direction of the longitudinal axis y of the yacht, or in thedirection of sailing forward, respectively. The tilt angle, measuredfrom the vertical basis (vertical axis), is decisive of the rotationalspeed of the drive engine 3, meaning the amount of the propeller thrust.The further the joystick 7 is tilted, meaning the greater the tilt angleis, the greater are the rotational speed of the drive engine 3 and thethrust of the pivotable drive 6. The rotational speed of the pivotabledrive 6 is marked as n in a diagram over the axis y_(j). One canrecognize that the rotational speed n increases proportional to the tiltof the joystick 7 and the direction of the axis y_(j). On the right-handside of FIG. 4(1), the basic floor plan of the yacht, with the bowthrust 4 and the pivotable drive 6, is schematically shown, where thepivoting area around the vertical axis is represented by the angle +/−α.By rotation of the joystick 7 around its longitudinal axis z_(j),represented by double arrow α_(zj), the pivotable drive 6 is pivotedaround the vertical axis and a yaw movement of the yacht is created. Thepivot angle or steering angle of the pivotable drive 6, around thevertical axis, is marked as α and drawn in the diagram on the bottomright in FIG. 4(3) over the rotation angle α_(zj) of the joystick 7. Onecan recognize the linear dependence between the two angles, however,with an opposite mathematical prefix notation. When rotating thejoystick 7 clockwise, counterclockwise pivoting of the pivotable drive 6takes place so that intuitively a yaw motion is also created clockwise,meaning the rotation of the yacht towards the starboard. Thus, thepivotable drive 6 rotates proportionally, but opposite to, therotational movement of the joystick 7. For this maneuver, the bow thrustis disabled.

FIG. 4A (left picture)—in addition to FIG. 4—shows the joystick 7 in aforward tilted position. The related position of the pivotable drive 6is presented in the right picture: the pivotable drive 6 is positionedmid ship and drives the yacht 1 forward and straight ahead, in thedirection of arrow V.

FIG. 4B shows the joystick 7 in the same tilted position, as in FIG. 4A,but rotated around the positive rotation angle α_(zj), meaning rotatedclockwise. The right picture shows the yacht 1 with the pivotable drive6, which is pivoted in a counterclockwise steering angle −α. The thrustvector, which is created by the pivotable drive 6, hereby generates aclockwise rotating yaw motion for the yacht 1 which rotates toward thestarboard in accordance with arrow StB.

FIG. 5 shows the joystick 7 in a second position, meaning tiltedbackward or the aft, respectively, meaning in the direction −y_(j). Thepivotable drive 6 is located the same, meaning the unchanged positionedas in FIG. 4, but the rotational direction of the propeller is reversedso that the thrust direction is going backward, the yacht moves towardthe aft. The rotational speed n of the pivotable drive 6 is drawn in thequadrant −n/−y_(j). The steering angle α of the pivotable drive 6 isdrawn in the diagram as a function of the rotation angle α_(zj). One canrecognize hereby that the joystick 7 and the pivotable drive 6 rotate inthe same direction.

FIG. 5A shows—in addition to FIG. 5—the joystick 7 in a backward tiltedposition (left picture), meaning for sailing straight ahead backward.The right picture shows the yacht 1 with the midship positionedpivotable drive 6, but its propeller rotates in the opposite directionas during the forward sailing. The yacht 1 sails—as shown by arrowR—straight ahead backward.

FIG. 5B shows the joystick 7 in the same tilted position as in FIG. 5A,but rotated clockwise around the angle +α_(zj). As the right pictureshows, the pivotable drive 6 is also pivoted clockwise, as marked byarrow +α. Due to the steering angle +α, the thrust vector of thepivotable drive 6 creates a clockwise rotating yaw moment. It causes therear of the yacht 1 to rotate to the larboard direction in accordancewith arrow BB.

FIG. 6 shows the joystick 7 in the same position as in FIG. 5, namelybackward, meaning tilted in the −y_(j) direction. However, the pivotabledrive 6 is pivoted by 180°, in comparison to the position in FIG. 4, sothat it causes, at a positive rotational speed n, a thrust toward theaft direction and thus backward sailing of the yacht. During backwardsailing, the joystick 7 can be rotated around its longitudinal axisz_(j) in an rotation angle α_(zj), which causes pivoting of thepivotable drive 6 with a steering angle +/−α and a yaw motion of theyacht. As the diagram α=f (α_(zj)) shows, rotational movement at thejoystick 7 happens in the same direction as the pivoting movement of thepivotable drive 6.

FIG. 6A shows—in addition to FIG. 6—the joystick 7 in a backward tiltedposition, meaning straight forward backward sailing. The pivotable drive6 is positioned mid ship and pushes the yacht 1 straight forwardbackward, which is marked with arrow R.

FIG. 6B shows the joystick 7 in the same position as in FIG. 6A,however, rotated clockwise by an angle +α_(zj). That causes—as shown inthe right picture—also a clockwise pivoting of the pivotable drive 6,meaning by a steering angle +α. Thus, a yaw motion, which rotatesclockwise, has an effect on the yacht 1 so that its aft turns towardlarboard, as marked with arrow BB.

FIG. 7 shows the joystick 7 in a third position in the coordinatecenter, meaning in a vertical position and that the tilt angle equals 0,by rotation of the joystick 7 around its vertical longitudinal axisz_(j), rotation of the yacht can be executed on the spot (“on theplate”). The propeller thrust, meaning the propeller rotational speed n,as shown in the related diagram, hereby is proportional to therotational angle α_(zj) of the joystick 7. During this maneuver, thepivotable drive 6 is preferably pivoted by 90° so that it is positionedtransverse to the ship's longitudinal direction and thus creates a yawmotion on the yacht. The steering angle α of the pivotable drive 6remains constant, as the diagram shows, during the rotational maneuver.In addition, the bow thrust 4 can be added to support the yaw motion sothat it results in a pair of forces with the opposite acting thrustvectors.

FIG. 7A shows—for a further explanation of FIG. 7—the joystick 7 in acentered, vertical position to initiate the “turn on the plate”maneuver. Hereby, the joystick 7 is rotated clockwise, as marked byarrow +α_(zj). The picture shows the yacht 1 with a transversepositioned pivotable drive 6 which was pivoted in a steering angle ofα=−90°. Rotation of the joystick 7 and pivoting of the pivotable drive 6are, therefore, opposite. The pivotable drive 6, positioned at 90°,creates a clockwise acting yaw motion on the yacht 1 so that it rotatesclockwise in accordance with arrow D. The bow thrust 4 can be added,which operates in an opposite thrust direction as the pivotable drive 6,to support of this maneuver. Rotation of the yacht 1 is, therefore, inthe same direction, meaning in the same rotational direction as rotationof the joystick 7. Thus, a maneuver with an opposite rotationaldirection, which is not present here, is executed in the same manner.

FIG. 8 shows the joystick 7 in a fourth position, namely tilted in thedirection of the positive x_(j)-axis, therefore to the starboard side.In this position of the joystick 7, a transverse or sideway movement,also called lateral movement, can be achieved by the yacht. Hereby, thepivotable drive 6 is pivoted by +90° and the bow thrust 4 is activatedin the same thrust direction. At that time, two thrust vectors areeffective on the yacht, parallel and transverse to the longitudinaldirection of the ship. To avoid a yaw motion of the ship, both thrustvectors are balanced against one another by means of an electroniccontrol unit. The rotational speed n of the pivotable drive 6 is herebyinitially matching the tilt angle of the joystick 7, as it is shown inthe center diagram n=f (x_(j)). The constant rotational speed n_(b) ofthe bow thrust 4 is slightly greater. In addition, meaning after thetilt movement, the joystick 7 can be rotated by the rotational angleα_(z), as it is shown in the left diagram n=f (α_(zj)). Thus, thecurrent thrust balance is canceled and a yaw motion is present on theship, which results in a rotation movement—towards the larboard or thestarboard. Hereby, the lateral movement of the ship can be added with anoverlay of a rotation movement, which can be an advantage during certainmaneuvers, for instance during windy conditions.

FIG. 8A shows—for a further explanation of FIG. 8—the joystick 7 in atilted position toward the starboard, which causes a movement of theyacht 1 (right picture) in the direction of arrow L. The yacht 1 movessideways and performs a true lateral movement, meaning without any yawmotion. The pivotable drive 6 is pivoted by a steering angle α=+90°,with a thrust direction toward the starboard. The bow thrust 4 is addedand also pushes toward the starboard. The sum of the yaw motions, by thethrust vector of the bow thrust 4 and the thrust vector of the pivotabledrive 6, equals 0—the condition is a balance of moment.

FIG. 8B shows a change of the maneuver in accordance with FIG. 8A, wherethe joystick 7 is rotated clockwise in accordance with arrow +α_(zj).Due to this rotation of the joystick, the balance of moment is canceledwhere either the thrust of the pivotable drive 6 is reduced so that, dueto the bow thrust 4, the yaw moment dominates or the thrust of the bowthrust 4 is increased so that its yaw moment dominates, when compared tothe yaw moment of the pivotable drive 6. Due to the clockwise rotationof the joystick 7, the yacht 1 is rotated in the same direction, meaninga rotational movement toward the starboard is overlaid on the lateralmovement L in accordance with FIG. 8, marked with arrow StB.

FIG. 9 shows the joystick 7 and a fifth position, named the tilted inthe direction of the negative x_(j)-axis, meaning tilted to the larboardside. In this tilted position, lateral movement of the yacht to thelarboard side can be executed—in the same way as in the previous exampleembodiment of the starboard side, in accordance with FIG. 8. Thepivotable drive 6 is pivoted to the position α=−90°. The bow thrust 4 isactivated so that both thrust directions are acting towards thelarboard. Both thrust vectors are again balanced so that no yaw motionof the yacht is created, but a true lateral movement in the samelongitudinal direction. If the lateral movement of the ship needs to becorrected by a yaw motion, the joystick 7 can be rotated clockwise orcounterclockwise, in this case, which causes a change of the rotationspeed of the pivotable drive 6 and therefore a thrust change—this isshown in the left diagram N=f (α_(j)).

FIG. 9A shows—in an additional explanation to FIG. 9—the joystick 7 in atilted position toward the larboard, which results in a lateral movementof the yacht toward the larboard side, in accordance with arrow L. Thepivotable drive 6 is hereby pivoted by α=−90° and is thereforepositioned transverse to the longitudinal direction of the ship andpushes toward the larboard. The bow thrust 4 is also activated and alsopushes toward the larboard.

FIG. 9B shows a modification of the maneuver in accordance with FIG. 9A,meaning by rotating the joystick 7 counterclockwise in accordance witharrow −α_(zj). By this rotation of the joystick 7, the current momentbalance is canceled so that, as a result, a yaw moment created rotatingto the left, which initiates a yaw motion of the yacht 1 toward thelarboard, in accordance with arrow BB.

When the yacht 1 is equipped with a pivotable drive 6, also calledrudder propeller, a stern thruster and a conventional rudder with arudder blade can be omitted.

REFERENCE CHARACTERS

-   1 Hull-   2 Keel-   3 Drive Engine-   4 Bow thrust-   5 Rudder blade-   6 Pivotable Drive-   7 Joystick-   7 a Handle-   7 b Hinge point-   8 Steering system-   9 Steering Unit-   9 a-9 d Control Lines-   x_(j); y_(j)j z_(j) Axes of Joystick-   x; y; z Axes of Yacht-   n Rotation Speed (swivel drive)-   n_(b) Rotation Speed (bow thrust)-   α Steering angle (Pivotable drive)-   α_(zj) Rotation angle (Joystick)-   M Center point Joystick-   O Coordinate Source-   k Circle-   BB Larboard-   StB Starboard-   V Forward-   R Backward-   L Lateral Movement

D Rotating

1-10. (canceled)
 11. A method of maneuvering of a yacht (1) via acontrol device designed as a joystick (7), the joystick (7) beingtiltable in a direction along a longitudinal axis (y) of the yacht forinitiating forward and backward movement of the yacht and the joystick(7) being tiltable in a direction along a transverse axis (x) of theyacht for initiating transverse movement of the yacht, and the joystick(7) being rotatable for initiation yaw movement of the yacht at adesired rotational angle (+αzj, −αzj) around its longitudinal axis (zu),the method comprising the steps of: providing the yacht (1) with asingle drive designed as a pivotable drive (6) with a pivotable thrustvector which can be pivoted around a vertical axis, providing the yacht(1) with a bow thrust (4) having a thrust vector arranged parallel tothe transverse axis (x) of the yacht (1), transferring the steeringmovement of the joystick (7) in a matched manner to both the pivotabledrive (6) and the bow thrust (4), activating the bow thrust (4) and thepivotable drive (6), by tilting of the joystick (7) toward itstransverse direction (+xj, −xj) so that thrust vectors, for both the bowthrust (4) and the pivotable drive (6), react in a same thrust directionand parallel to the transverse axis (x) of the yacht, and adjustingforces of both of the thrust vectors, via an electronic control unit,depending on the rotation angle (+αzj, −αzj) of the joystick (7). 12.The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of, for arotational angle (αzj) of the joystick (7) of zero, balancing boththrust vectors against one another, via the electronic control unit, sothat a sum of the yaw moments of the thrust vector of the bow thrust (4)and the thrust vector of the pivotable drive (6) equals zero whereby abalance of moment exists and any yaw motion of the yacht (1) is avoidedsuch that a true lateral movement (L) of the yacht occurs.
 13. Themethod according to claim 11, further comprising the step of, throughrotation of the joystick (7) by a rotational angle (+αzj, −αzj) aroundits longitudinal axis (zu), before or after the tilting, cancelling thebalance of the moment, and reducing the thrust of the pivotable drive(6) so that the yaw moment, due to the bow thrust (4), dominates and alateral movement (L) of the yacht (1) is initiated, with an overlay of ayaw movement.
 14. The method according to claim 11, further comprisingthe step of, by rotation of the joystick (7) by a rotational angle(+αzj, −αzj) around its longitudinal axis (zu), before or after thetilting, cancelling the balance of the moment by increasing the thrustof the bow thrust (4) so that its yaw moment dominates, compared to ayaw moment from the pivotable drive (6), and a lateral movement (L) ofthe yacht (1) is initiated with an overlay of a yaw movement.
 15. Themethod according to claim 11, further comprising the step of, activatingthe bow thrust (4) and the pivotable drive (6) by rotation of thejoystick (7) by a rotational angle (+αzj, −αzj), in its verticalposition, so that a pair of forces, each parallel to the transverse axisof the yacht (1), but with opposite acting thrust vectors results androtation of the yacht (1) occurs on the spot.
 16. The method accordingto claim 11, further comprising the step of activating the pivotabledrive (6), with regard to its thrust force, by tilting of the joystick(7).
 17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the stepof increasing the thrust force of the pivotable drive (6) with anincrease in the tilt angle of the joystick (7) and reducing the thrustforce of the pivotable drive (6) by a reduction in the tilt angle. 18.The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step ofpermitting a steering angle (α) of the pivotable drive (6) to be pivotedbetween zero degrees and +/−90 degrees, and activating the steeringangle (α) by rotation of the joystick (7).
 19. The method according toclaim 11, further comprising the step of permitting a steering angle (α)of the pivotable drive (6) to be pivoted between zero degrees and +/−180degrees, and activating the steering angle (α) by rotation of thejoystick (7).
 20. The method according to claim 11, further comprisingthe step of employing a sailing yacht as the yacht (1).
 21. A sailingyacht comprising a control device designed as a joystick (7), thejoystick (7) being tiltable in a direction along a longitudinal axis (y)of the sailing yacht for initiating forward and backward movement of thesailing yacht and the joystick (7) being tiltable in a direction along atransverse axis (x) of the sailing yacht for initiating transversemovement of the sailing yacht, and the joystick (7) being rotatable forinitiation yaw movement of the sailing yacht in a rotation angle (+αzj,−αzj) around its longitudinal axis (zu), wherein the sailing yachtcomprises a single drive designed as a pivotable drive (6) with apivotable thrust vector which can be pivoted around a vertical axis, abow thrust (4) having a thrust vector arranged parallel to thetransverse axis (x) of the yacht (1), the steering movement of thejoystick (7) being transferred, in a matched manner, to both thepivotable drive (6) and the bow thrust (4), tilting movement of thejoystick (7), toward its transverse direction (+xj, −xj), induces thrustvectors of the bow thrust (4) and the pivotable drive (6) to react in asame thrust direction which is parallel to the transverse axis (x) ofthe sailing yacht, and an electronic control unit adjusting the forcesof both thrust vectors depending on the rotation angle (+αzj, −αzj) ofthe joystick (7).